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2003 Ford F-150
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2003 Ford F-150, covering fuel system, gasoline, vehicle speed control and steering, and 389 consumer complaints received since 2002.
The component named most often is engine and engine cooling: 147.6 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 77.7 per 1,000 across all 2003 model-year vehicles and against 82.8 per 1,000 for the Ford F-150 line as a whole.
That is fewer than the average of 566.8 complaints per model year across the 41 Ford F-150 model years on this register; 39 complaints reported a crash and 27 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2004 (49); the most recent in the file is dated 15 May 2019.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 3 investigations naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: Ford is recalling certain 1997 through 2003 model year ford f-150, 2004 model year ford f-150 heritage, 1997 through 1999 model year f-250 less than 8,500 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr), and 2002 and 2003 lincoln blackwood vehicles manufactured from june 20, 1995, through august 4, 2004, originally sold, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Prolonged exposure to road deicing chemicals may cause severe corrosion of the fuel tank straps which secure the tank to the vehicle.
Consequence: As a result of the corrosion, one or both straps may fail allowing the fuel lines to separate from the tank, or in some cases, causing the tank to contact the ground. Either scenario may result in a fuel leak presenting a fire hazard.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicles to a ford or lincoln dealer to have the fuel tank straps replaced with straps that have increased corrosion protection. Early in this campaign, if replacement straps are not available, dealers may install a cable support under the strap as an interim repair or a steel reinforcement over the existing strap as a permanent repair. Any repairs will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on september 16, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall campaign number is 11s21
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY (manufacturer campaign 11S21).
Defect, as filed: On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Consequence: This could result in an underhood fire.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected as an interim repair. As soon as repair parts are available (expected october 2007), owners will be instructed to return to the dealers for installation of a fused wiring harness. The recall began on august 13, 2007, and mailing completed by september 19, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY (manufacturer campaign 05S28).
Defect, as filed: On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.
Consequence: Overheating could result in smoke, burn, or an underhood fire.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on march 12, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. (note: also see recalls 05v017, 05v388, and 06v286)
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY (manufacturer campaign 05S28).
Defect, as filed: On certain pickup trucks, the pitman arm to steering gear retaining nut was not fully tightened to the required specification.
Consequence: If the pitman arm to gearbox attachment nut loosens, a noise and a loose feel in the steering could occur. If the condition progressed and service was not sought, the nut could back off completely and the pitman arm could separate from the gear causing a loss of steering. If the warning is not heeded and steering is lost, a crash may result.
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the pitman arm retaining nut to specifications. Owner notification began on october 1, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY (manufacturer campaign 03S07).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2003 Ford F-150 (black) against all 2003 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2003 | F-150 line | All 2003 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 147.6 | 82.8 | 77.7 |
| Power Train | 122.7 | 101.8 | 121 |
| Electrical System | 89.4 | 80.8 | 123.7 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 66.5 | 70.8 | 42 |
| Structure | 66.5 | 51.9 | 62 |
| Air Bags | 54.1 | 33.6 | 82.2 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 71 | 147.6 | 82.8 | 77.7 |
| Power Train | 59 | 122.7 | 101.8 | 121 |
| Electrical System | 43 | 89.4 | 80.8 | 123.7 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 32 | 66.5 | 70.8 | 42 |
| Structure | 32 | 66.5 | 51.9 | 62 |
| Air Bags | 26 | 54.1 | 33.6 | 82.2 |
| Engine | 21 | 43.7 | 72 | 27.3 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 20 | 41.6 | 54.6 | 58.7 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 19 | 39.5 | 71.1 | 36.5 |
| Tires | 18 | 37.4 | 38.8 | 20.4 |
| Visibility | 17 | 35.3 | 64.1 | 40.1 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 17 | 35.3 | 22.1 | 14.3 |
| Seat Belts | 15 | 31.2 | 13.1 | 12.9 |
| Steering | 15 | 31.2 | 56.7 | 47.3 |
| Suspension | 14 | 29.1 | 32.8 | 57.2 |
| Wheels | 12 | 24.9 | 14 | 10.8 |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 22.9 | 30.7 | 20.2 |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 16.6 | 10 | 34.7 |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 16.6 | 36.8 | 30.5 |
| Equipment | 7 | 14.6 | 7.2 | 21.5 |
| Fuel System, Other | 6 | 12.5 | 3.5 | 4.6 |
| Interior Lighting | 3 | 6.2 | 2.4 | 2 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 3 | 6.2 | 19.7 | 3.1 |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.1 |
| Seats | 1 | 2.1 | 9.7 | 13.9 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 1 | 2.1 | 5.2 | 7.4 |
389 unique complaints, 481 component mentions; 32 injuries and 1 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA11006 | Engineering analysis | Fuel Tank Strap Failure Due to Corrosion | fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly | 4 May 2011 | 19 Aug 2011 | 11V385000 |
| PE08063 | Preliminary evaluation | CNG REGULATOR LEAK | fuel system, other:delivery | 31 Oct 2008 | 27 Feb 2009 | — |
| DP05005 | Defect petition | SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD | engine and engine cooling:engine | 22 Sep 2005 | 4 Jan 2006 | — |
Other Ford F-150 model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1987 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1989 NHTSA | 0 | 12 | — |
| 1990 NHTSA | 0 | 17 | — |
| 1991 | 3 | 302 | 9,033,419 |
| 1992 | 3 | 470 | 2,156,791 |
| 1993 | 7 | 577 | 6,438,180 |
| 1994 | 6 | 668 | 5,741,613 |
| 1995 | 2 | 620 | 4,531,000 |
| 1996 | 2 | 315 | 4,634,770 |
| 1997 | 14 | 2,742 | 9,402,062 |
| 1998 | 8 | 1,371 | 8,258,137 |
| 1999 | 7 | 1,038 | 5,640,333 |
| 2000 | 6 | 1,050 | 7,570,425 |
| 2001 | 8 | 1,192 | 8,579,768 |
| 2002 | 2 | 787 | 5,600,000 |
| 2003 | 4 | 389 | 4,855,884 |
| 2004 | 5 | 1,974 | 6,027,060 |
| 2005 | 3 | 1,035 | 2,142,116 |
| 2006 | 4 | 521 | 2,342,058 |
| 2007 | 2 | 437 | 416 |
| 2008 | 1 | 307 | 213 |
| 2009 | 2 | 277 | 289,681 |
| 2010 | 1 | 677 | 280,946 |
| 2011 | 6 | 1,548 | 1,465,982 |
| 2012 | 4 | 1,209 | 1,427,233 |
| 2013 | 3 | 1,473 | 1,595,920 |
| 2014 | 8 | 566 | 1,327,762 |
| 2015 | 13 | 628 | 5,137,616 |
| 2016 | 13 | 574 | 5,473,811 |
| 2017 | 17 | 197 | 5,424,650 |
| 2018 | 18 | 255 | 3,799,441 |
| 2019 | 9 | 8 | 1,823,432 |
| 2020 | 11 | 0 | 2,589,035 |
| 2021 | 29 | 0 | 10,684,336 |
| 2022 | 23 | 0 | 8,908,290 |
| 2023 | 13 | 0 | 7,038,115 |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | 5,824,204 |
| 2025 | 13 | 0 | 5,393,797 |
| 2026 | 5 | 0 | 4,605,427 |
| 2027 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 223,472 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Ford F-150 model years · Ford: 201 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2003 Ford F-150 have?
4 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 11V385000, was reported to NHTSA on 29 Jul 2011 and concerns fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:mounting. Across all model years the Ford F-150 line has 169 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2003 Ford F-150?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 3 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2003 Ford F-150 complain about most?
Engine and Engine Cooling: 71 of 481 component mentions (147.6 per 1,000). Next is power train with 59. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.